All Ashore! Planning Your Shore Excursions

If a port of call is calling your name you need to be prepared before selecting and participating in shore excursions. Here are a few things you should know:

Research which excursions you are interested in to see if they would be a good choice for you and your family. Some look very appealing in the list but when you read the details you may find that it’s more than you bargained for.

Check the activity level as some excursions are far more physical than you might think. A zip-line adventure, for example, could require extreme physical activity such as excessive climbing and navigating rough terrain. While some excursions seem like they would be once in a lifetime photo opportunities, not all of them allow cameras on the excursion.

The same excursion may have multiple listings, and as they say “the devil is in the details” read carefully and you might find that one excursion includes lunch and the other doesn’t.

Carefully read the length of the excursion and the travel time. You may not want to spend 2 hours on a bus in the desert to get to your 30-minute excursion. Weigh your options carefully and make sure the length of the actual activity you want to participate in is a long enough experience for you to feel it’s worth the price, and your time.

Arrange your excursions directly through the cruise line. Though you might be able to save a few dollars booking your excursion through a direct source as opposed to going through Disney Cruise Line you may find the cost of your decision isn’t worth the value of savings. Disney Cruise Line carefully orchestrates its excursion groups. Your group will meet with your port adventure guide at a specific location on the ship and lead you exactly where you need to go. Often transportation to the excursion site is included in your port adventure cost (again, read the descriptions carefully!) There is safety in numbers and knowing exactly where you’re going and with who saves you a great deal of time, money and stress. Not to mention the Disney Cast Member accompanying you may be a lot easier to approach than your local excursion host if you have any questions or problems.

Be mindful of the time. Regardless of attending a shore excursion or exploring on your own be sure your watch is set to ship time. The ship time will be noted by your cruise director in the evening shows, or you can ask a cast member or guest services to be sure. Time changes are frequent when cruising so you’ll want to keep your watch on ship time, not local time so you don’t miss the boat, literally! The “all aboard” time means all aboard. Don’t expect the ship to wait for you, because not even Disney magic can make that happen!

You should be informed and prepared about your shore excursions before your booking window opens. Some excursions have limited availability and are incredibly popular. Don’t squander the time you should be securing your reservation by reading about it on the website, you could miss your window of opportunity!

If you haven’t pre-booked any shore excursions and change your mind, stop by the port adventures desk when you board the ship (guest services will be able to advise you of their desk hours). These folks are well trained to inform you on exactly what each excursion entails. They often have had personal experiences or can tell you about any physical or health restrictions that could pose a problem.

If you don’t feel like a shore excursion is right for you, check the Disney Cruise Line website for the highlights at your port of call.

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